Furniture construction



May 5,l 1959 l. S. ROSALSKY FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 24, 1958 Patented May 5, y1959A FURNITURE CGNSTRUCTION Ivan S. Rosalsky, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Airlite Aluminum Corporation, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application February 24, 1958, Serial No. 717,079

11 Claims. (Cl. 155-137) The present invention relates generally to improvements in the construction of furniture, and in particular it relates to improvements in furniture formed of tubing and to the mechanism for securing a webbing thereto.

In tubular furniture of conventional construction, such as chairs, chaise lounges and the like, the webbing for the 'back rest or fo-r the seat is often in the form of interwoven bands or parallel bands, the ends of which are secured to parallel tubular frame or support members. A most common method of fastening the bands to the tubular supports is to wrap the ends of the bands about the supports and to then sew or clip the free ends to the body of the band t-o form loops engaging the tubular supports. This method of attaching the webbing bands to the support frame possesses many disadvantages and drawbacks. It is relatively expensive and timeJconsu-ming to apply and it is diicult to replace worn and faulty bands. Other means of fastening the bands to the frame have been employed but these leave much to be desired.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved article o-f furniture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved article of furniture formed of tubular members.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved means for securing la webbing to an article of furniture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved simple and inexpensive arrangement for securing webbing to the tubular structural members of an article of furniture. n

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of a chair back rest embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective exploded view, partially broken away, illustrating a back rest structural member, the end of a webbing band Iand a first or anchor fastening element preparatory to assembly; l

Figure 3 is a perspective view, illustrating the 'band fastened to the structural member;

Figure 4 is a rear perspective View, illustrating the end of the band carrying a second or locking fastening element preparatory to'fastening; l v

Figure 5 is a rear perspective view, illustrating the end of the band secured to the back rest structural member;

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken along line 6-6 in Fig'u're3; f

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7-7 in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a side View, illustrating the locking fastening member in partially inserted position;

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9-9 in Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a sectional view taken along line 10-10 in Figure 8;

Figure 11 is a sectional view taken along line 11-11in Figure 8; and

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 11, illustrating, however, the locking member in fully inserted position.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of an improved article of furniture comprising a tubular member having a pair of longitudinally spaced apertures formed therein; a fastening element including a longitudinally extending bridge portion terminating in resilient legs registering with said apertures; and a band having laterally spaced openings formed therein rearward of the free end thereof and registering with said apertures and underlying said bridge portion, said band extending around said bridge portion and about the periphery of said tubular member, sandwiching said free end of said Iband between said tubular member and the tubular encircling portion of said band.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the present invention as applied to the webbing of the back rest of a chair of tubular construction, reference numeral 10 designates generally the back rest of the chair which is formed of a single, suitably shaped tubular member, and includes an upper cross piece 11 and depending parallel legs 12 and 13 respectively. Carried by and between the legs 12 and 13 are a plurality of vertically spaced parallel web-bing bands 14 which are secured to the legs 12 and 13 in a manner which will be set forth hereinafter. Bands 14 are exible and formed of any suitable material, and are preferably bands woven of plastic monolilaments such as vinyl chloride, low pressure polyethylene, Saran, or the like, although bands woven of natural fibers may also be employed.

Formed in the confronting surfaces of legs 12 and 13 are regularly, longitudinally spaced circular apertures 16, the apertures in legs 12 and 13 being laterally aligned with each other. Bands 14 are secured or anchored to legs 12 by means of first or anchor fastening elements 17 which engage corresponding end portions of band 14. Anchor elements 17 are formed of somewhat resilient rod or wire and are of substantially U-shaped configuration, each including a bridge portion 18 and laterally extending coplanar legs 19. Each of legs 19 is of V-shaped configuration and comprises a first inclined forwardly inwardly directed section 20 which is joined to the end of bridge portion 18 by a curve or knuckle portion 21 and terminates in an inclined outwardly directed section 22. The distance between the free ends of legs 19 is approximately,v equal to the width of fastening member lbridge portion 18 and the ends of the legs are tapered, as at 23.

A longitudinally split sleeve 24 engages `bridge portionV4 18 and is preferably formed of a material softer than thatV forming webbing band 14, for example, high pressure polyethylene, so that the band will embed itself in thel sleeve 24. A pair of laterally spaced circular openings 26 are formed inwardly of each end of webbing band 14, the portion of the band extending outwardly from openings 26 defining a tail 27. The lateral distance between open-l ings 26 is equal to the distance between successive apertures 16 formed in legs 12 and 13. In securing an end of each of bands 14 to tubular leg 12, fastener legs 19 are brought into registry with the band and then inserted intoV the leg apertures 16 and urged inwardly until sleeve 24 'bears substantially against the surface of Iband 14 and the fastener knuckle portions 21 engage the edge of the edges` of openings 16. 'J

As fastening element 17 is inserted, legs 19 are urged inwardly by reason of the inclined sections 22 bearing against the edges of opening 16, and then spring outwardly to their normal position when the fastener is fully inserted, as illustrated in Figures 3, 6 and 7 of the drawings. It should be noted that the legs 19 are resilient by reason of their being individually resiliaes-1,994

ent, or by reason of the bridge member 18 being resilient, or both. After insertion of fastener element 17, band 14 is wrapped about fastener bridge 18 and sleeve 24, sandwiching band tail 27 between its inner surface and the peripheral surface of leg 12, the band being carried to the opposite leg 13.

In order to lock the free end of band 14 to leg 13, there is provided a second or locking fastening element 32. Locking fastening element 32 includes a bridge portion 33, whose length is substantially equal to the distance between successive leg apertures 16, and is provided with a pair of laterally extending legs 34 and 36. Leg 34, like fastener legs 19 of the first fastening element 17, is of V-shaped configuration having an inwardly directed apex. Leg 36, on the other hand, includes an inwardly directed section 37 joined to the end of bridge 33 by a curved portion 38, and terminates in a transversely extending leg 39 which projects in an outward direction and somewhat less than perpendicular to the plane of leg 34, and bridge portion 33 and is connected to leg section 37 by a crotch 4t). Bridge 33 also carries a split sleeve 24.

In locking the free end of band 14 to the tubular leg 13, the legs of fastening element 32 are inserted through openings 26 adjacent the free end of band 14, and the band tail 27 is folded inwardly about bridge portion 33 and sleeve 24. The band is then drawn taut about the forward and outer periphery of leg 13, and end section 39 of fastener leg 36 is inserted into an aperture 16, crotch 40 engaging the edge of the aperture as illustrated in Figures 8 and 1l of the drawing. The end of fastener leg 34 is aligned with an adjacent leg aperture 16, as seen in Figures 8 and 10 of the drawing, and the fastening element is then rotated approximately 90 to bring leg 34 into alignment with the corresponding aperture 16, drawing band 14 taut. As fastening element 32 is rotated to the aforesaid position, the inner leg section 37 is brought into alignment with the registering aperture 16 and fastening element 32 is then urged into its fully inserted position, as illustrated in Figure l2 of the drawing.

In the assembled condition, band tail 27 is sandwiched between band 14 and the surface of leg 13. It should be noted that any stress applied to the bands 14 in assembled condition, as aforesaid, is transmitted to the fastening elements, greatly minimized by reason of the retarding force consequent to the frictional engagement between band 14 and the surface of legs 12 and 13. There is also an anchoring of the looped portion of the band to the fastening element bridge portions 18 and 33 respectively because sleeves 24 frictionally engage bands 14 which are preferably embedded in the surface of the sleeves 24 in the manner above set forth. Furthermore, disengagement between the band and the fastening element is retarded by reason of tails 27 being tightly sandwiched between legs 12 and 13 and band 14. It is apparent that there is a minimum stress imparted to the edges of the band openings 26 by the fastener legs.

A worn or damaged band 14 may be simply replaced by removing the fasteners in a reverse manner and applying a new band as above set forth.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations and omissions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

I claim:

1. An improved article of furniture comprising a tubular member having a pair of longitudinally spaced apertures formed therein, a fastening element including a longitudinally extending bridge portion terminating in resilient legs registering with said apertures, and a band having laterally spaced openings formed therein rearward of the free end thereof and registering with said apertures and underlying said bridge portion, said band extending around said bridge portion and about the periphery of said tubular member, sandwiching and clamping said free end of said band between said tubular member and the tubular encircling portion of said band.

2. An article of furniture in accordance with claim 1, wherein the legs of said fastening element project laterally from said bridge portion and are formed to provide depressions engaging the edges of said apertures.

3. An article of furniture in accordance with claim l, wherein said legs are of substantially V-shaped configuration having their apices directed toward each other.

4. An article of furniture in accordance with claim 3, wherein the distance between the free ends of said legs are substantially equal to the length of said bridge portion.

5. An article of furniture in accordance with claim 1, including a collar registering with said bridge portion and located between said band and said bridge portion.

6. An article of furniture in accordance with claim 5, wherein said collar is formed of a material softer than said band.

7. An article of furniture in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of said fastening element legs includes a first section extending laterally from said bridge portion and terminating in a transversely projecting portion.

8. An article of furniture in accordance with claim 7, wherein one of said fastening element legs is inwardly inclined.

9. An article of furniture in accordance with claim 7, wherein said other fastening element leg is of V-shaped configuration having an inwardly directed apex.

10. An improved article of furniture comprising a pair of laterally spaced parallel tubular support members having regularly longitudinally spaced confronting laterally aligned apertures formed therein, a plurality of bands extending laterally between said tubular members, each of said bands having a pair of laterally spaced openings in registry with corresponding opposite aligned pairs of apertures, first and second fastening members including bridge portions terminating in laterally projecting resilient legs registering with said aligned openings and apertures and projecting into said tubular members, said band extending about the peripheries of said support members and over and under said fastener bridge portions and having trailing portions disposed between said band and said tubular members and clamped therebetween.

1l. An article of furniture in accordance with claim 10, wherein the legs of said first fastening element are of V-shaped configuration having inwardly directed apices and one of said legs of said second fastening element is of V-shaped configuration and the other leg includes a first section extending laterally from said second fastener element bridge portion and terminates in a transversely projecting portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,322,836 Eady June 29, 1943 2,826,245 Sellner Mar. 11, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 841,590 France Feb. 13, 1939 

